JHARSUGUDA: Jharsuguda police on Friday arrested two persons for cheating people by displaying fabricated UPI payment screenshots without transferring funds online.
The accused are Ranjan Barik (29) and Md Sahbaj (36) of Ghumadera under Belpahar police limits. Police also seized a mobile phone and a motorcycle from the accused.
According to police, the accused would approach individuals and ask for cash on the pretext of unavailability of ATM or medical emergency. They would offer to make payment through UPI in exchange for cash.
In one incident, the accused asked a person to hand over `10,900 in cash, claiming that the amount would be transferred through PhonePe. After scanning the QR code, the accused displayed a fake payment screenshot on their phone through a dummy app.
Believing the transaction to be genuine, the victim handed over the cash. It was later discovered that no amount had actually been credited to the victim’s account following which a complaint was lodged against the accused. During inquiry, police came across similar complaints involving transactions of `5,000, `3,500, `7,000, `3,000, `6,000 and `10,000.
Police said the accused used a fake or imitated payment interface designed to resemble a successful PhonePe transaction. The fabricated confirmation screenshot allegedly led victims to believe that the payment had been completed, following which they handed over cash or goods.
Jharsuguda SP GR Raghavendra said the accused duo was active since the last two months. The total reported amount involved in the incidents so far has been pegged at rs 45,400. The figure is likely to go up.
The SP advised people not to rely solely on payment screenshots or transaction sounds from a phone.
